The Woolpack
The Woolpack is Emmerdale's main public house. It is the main meeting place for villagers and a stop for tourists visiting the Dales and a stop gap for the hikers and ramblers that pass through the village. The longest serving landlord of the Woolpack was Amos Brearly who ran the pub from 1948 to 1991. The current building has only been in use since February 1976. Until then the Woolpack was at the other end of the village opposite a large green. There is a separate page for The Old Woolpack. Diane Sugden and Chas Spencer are the current landladies. History 1976- After the old Woolpack was found to be suffering from subsidence in January 1976 Amos Brearly and Henry Wilks bought the current premises and it became the new pub in February 1976. The current building was at the other end of the village to the previous one. Surveyor Mel Openshaw inspected the building and helped Amos and Henry get the deposit. Amos was initially reluctant to move into the current building but Mr Wilks made him see reason. Amos and Mr Wilks carried on their partnership at the new pub. In 1978 they were held hostage by a young gunman, Steve Hawker and his girlfriend Pip Coulter. In 1980 Seth Armstrong decided to make the Woolpack his regular after deserting The Malt Shovel, Beckindale's other pub. He started what was to be many years of annoying and baiting Amos to the hilt. Amos and Mr Wilks were on tap behind the bar for the entire 1980s. In July 1990 at Annie Sugden's birthday party Amos suffered a stroke. He later decided to call time as lanlord. In January 1991 Amos retired to Spain. Alan Turner bought the Wollpack off Amos. Mr Wilks moved into Emmerdale Farm and carried on working at the pub. He was constantly irritated by Alan's modern ways of running the pub. Henry died suddenly in October 1991. Alan had a wine bar built at the back of the pub but it was destroyed in the 1993 plane crash. Alan married Shirley Foster in February 1994 but she was shot dead after being held hostage by Viv Windsor's crazed ex husband Reg Dawson. Alan carried on as Woolpack landlord until 1999 when he sold it to Diane Blackstock who became the landlady alongside daughter Bernice. Louise Appleton worked behind the bar and became the pub woner in 2002 when Bernice sold up and left Emmerdale. In 2004 the pub suffered structural damage after lightning hit it. In 2005 Louise Appleton sold her share to Diane's sister Val Lambert. When Val wed Eric she sold her share to Diane making her the sole landlady. In 2011 Diane sold half the pub to Chastity Dingle. Diane runs the pub to date and has recently gone into business with Chastity Dingle, member of the infamous Dingle family. They are similar to Amos and Henry of the 1970s and 1980s to 1991. As of April 2012 Marlon Dingle is still employed as a chef at the pub. Rachel Breckle is the cleaner and Alicia Gallagher is a barmaid, all working under Diane and Chas. Background Info. In 1974 when cleaning out one of his cupboards, Amos was rifling through some old pictures, photos and documents and mentioned some of those belonged to his predecessor. The identity of Amos's predecessor has never been revealed to my knowledge. Occupants Owners/Landlords *1976-1991 Amos Brearly (landlord) *1976-1991 Henry Wilks (landlord) *1991-1999 Alan Turner (landlord) *1993-1994 Shirley Turner (landlady) *1999-2010; 2010-present Diane Sugden (landlady) *1999-2002 Bernice Blackstock *2002-2006 Louise Appleton *2006-2009 Val Lambert *2010 Jimmy and Nicola King *2011-present Chas Dingle (co-landlady) Other Staff *1977-1978 Dolly Acaster (barmaid) *1990-???? Sarah Connolly (barmaid) *1991-1993 Carol Nelson (barmaid) *1991 Mark Hughes (waiter) *1995 Britt Woods (bar manager) *1995-1998 Terry Woods (bar manager) *1995-???? Mandy Dingle (barmaid) *1996-present Marlon Dingle (chef) *1998-2004 Tricia Stokes (barmaid) *2004-2009 Paul Lambert (barman) *2008 Jake Doland (chef) *???? Bob Hope (barman) *2009-2012 Moira Barton (barmaid) *2009-2011 Maisie Wylde (barmaid) *2010-2015 Alicia Harding (barmaid) *2014-present Victoria Sugden (chef) *2015 Doug Potts (barman) Residents (including non-staff) *1976-1991 Amos Brearly *1976-1991 Henry Wilks *1991-1999 Alan Turner *1993-1994 Shirley Turner *1995 Britt Woods *1995-1998 Terry Woods *199? Viv and Donna Windsor *1998 Heather, Lyn and Kirsty Hutchinson *1999-present Diane Sugden *1999-2002 Bernice Blackstock *2002-2006 Louise Appleton *2006-2009 Val Lambert *2008 Andy Sugden *2010 Jimmy and Nicola King *2011-present Chas Dingle *2008-2012; 2014-present Aaron Livesy *2015 Robert Sugden See also *Woolpack Car Park *The Old Woolpack *Access Street to Woolpack Car Park Gallery emmie woolie kitchen.png|The Woolpack kitchen emmie woolie main bar.png|The main bar emmie woolie seats.png|Pearl, Sandy, David and Alicia sat down in the seating area emmie nick in cellar.png|Nick Bates in the cellar in 1987. emmie thozza merrick 1980.png|Tom Merrick in the Woolpack in 1980. emmie woolie optics area.png|The optics area. emmie inside woolie may 1988.png|Inside the Woolpack in May 1988. Woolpack-2004-01-08.JPG|The Woolpack, a few days after the storm. January 2004. N.B. Can you spot Marlon and Diane? emmie woolie back door mar 1988.png|The back doorway, March 1988. Turner and Sir Charles Douglas enter. Woolpack-front door-1989-11-28.JPG|Front door of the Woolpack. November 1989. N.B. The (painted over) number of building. emmie jack joe henry feb 1988.png|The back room in February 1988. The Woolpack-On fire-interior-1998-10-20.JPG|Interior the pub on fire caused by fireworks.October 1998. The Woolpack-On fire-exterior-1-1998-10-20.JPG|Front door of the Woolpack as the pub is on fire. October 1998. The Woolpack-On fire-exterior-2-1998-10-20.JPG|Exterior of the Woolpack as the pub is on fire. October 1998. Woolpack-2004-01-02.JPG|A damaged Woolpack, day after the storm. January 2004. Category:Buildings in Emmerdale. Category:Emmerdale public houses. Category:The Woolpack. Category:Places in Emmerdale Village. Category:Facilities in Emmerdale Village.